The present invention relates to image forming apparatuses such as a copier, a printer or the like, and particularly relates to an image forming apparatus including a static electricity remover disposed at a medium conveyance path.
In an image forming apparatus, when a conveyed recording medium may be electrically charged due to friction or the like, an unfavorable event may occur. Therefore, in a conventional configuration, a contact brush or a noncontact brush is provided for removing static electricity from the recording medium. Such a configuration is disclosed by, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H8-262884 (Page 4, FIG. 5).
In another conventional configuration, a medium conveyance path is formed of electrically conductive resin so as to prevent the recording medium from being electrically charged when the recording medium is conveyed along the conveyance path.
In this regard, there is a case where an optical sensor is disposed at the conveyance path for detecting an eye mark of a roll paper or an interval between continuous cut-form papers. The optical sensor detects reflected light or transmitted light via a sensor cover provided so as to guide the conveyed recording medium. When the sensor cover is electrically charged, discharge noise may intrude into an electrical system of the optical sensor, and malfunction of the optical sensor may occur. The conventional static electricity remover has an insufficient effect of removing static electricity, and cannot prevent electrical charging of the sensor cover. Further, if the conveyance path is formed of conductive resin, a sufficient function of the optical sensor cannot be obtained since the conductive resin has low or uneven transparency.